Q:What are mesh Wi-Fi routers?
Q:What are mesh Wi-Fi routers?
Instead of one Wi-Fi router trying to engulf an entire home from a single location, think of mesh Wi-Fi as several devices, or ‘nodes,’ spread out over a home to blanket the entire space.
Only one wired node needs to be connected to the internet modem. That node shares its internet connection wirelessly with the other nodes nearby, which then pass their connections to other nodes near them.
The more nodes, the further your mesh Wi-Fi spreads, and the more internet you get around the house.
It’s the perfect solution for big spaces with dead zones that a single router can’t reach.
Is mesh Wi-Fi for you? If you have a house smaller than 2,000 square feet, you might actually be better off with a good router that’s strategically placed, with a Wi-Fi extender for those hard to reach areas.
That’s because mesh Wi-Fi systems, from companies like Eero, Netgear and Linksys, are expensive compared to regular routers. Google Wifi is one of the cheapest mesh Wi-Fi systems around, and it still costs US$299 for a pack of three.
Text: Alvin Soon
